Description

Delight in these Spiced Gingerbread Cookie Bars, perfect for the holiday season with warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg blended into a moist, chewy bar. These bars combine the rich flavors of molasses and brown sugar, baked to golden perfection with a slightly crispy edge and a gooey center. Serve plain or topped with cream cheese or vanilla frosting and festive sprinkles for an extra special treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Wet Ingredients

1/2 cup butter melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup molasses
1 large egg

Dry Ingredients

2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

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Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a 9″×13″ baking pan by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray.
Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and molasses. Beat the mixture until creamy and smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Using a stand mixer is recommended, as the batter will be thick.
Add Egg: Add the egg to the wet mixture and stir until fully incorporated, ensuring a consistent batter.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the baking soda, flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and salt.
Mix Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until the dough is well combined. The texture will be thick, similar to cookie dough.
Spread Dough: Use a silicone spatula or your hands to evenly spread the dough into the prepared baking pan.
Bake: Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges are crispy and the center remains slightly gooey. Oven times may vary depending on your oven.
Cool and Serve: Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting into squares. Optionally, frost with cream cheese or vanilla frosting and decorate with festive sprinkles.

Notes

For frosting, cream cheese or vanilla frosting pairs beautifully with the gingerbread flavor.
The batter is thick, so using a stand mixer will make mixing easier.
Baking times vary by oven; check edges for crispiness and center for slight gooeyness as indicators of doneness.
Store bars in an airtight container to maintain freshness for up to 5 days.
Substitute molasses with dark corn syrup for a milder flavor if molasses is unavailable.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 square
Calories: 180 kcal
Sugar: 15 g
Sodium: 220 mg
Fat: 8 g
Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 25 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 2 g
Cholesterol: 30 mg